Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Livestock Farmers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, Muhammad Asif Awan said that their business is about to collapse as they are being compelled to supply milk at much less than the input cost and adulterated milk is being supplied in the open market.
He said that livestock farming has neglected despite its 50 percent share in GDP growth. He said the KP is the most deficient province in milk and meat production as about 80 percent requirements were fulfilled by the Punjab province.
The association Senior Vice President, Hafeezullah, Vic President Kamran Khan, Secretary Information Haji Fawad Khan Pando, dairy farmers, milk dealers and others were present during the presser.
Asif Awan said that the fixation of low price of milk was main cause of rapid decline of the sector. He asked the price of any item should be determined as per growing inflation and increase in demand of supply of the milk.
When price of input, like green fodder, hay, wheat bran cotton seed oil, concentrates, transportation charges, price of animal labour, gas, fuel, electricity, ect, controlled by livestock sector, then why prices of milk and meat are determined by the government, the association president said.
He demanded the prices of milk and meat should be de-capped and fix them on supply and demand basis. He said the power should be given to the dairy farmers association as is being practised in other sectors, like poultry farming and CNG gas sector.
Expressing concern over pack milk of different brands and companies, the association president said the companies have launched campaign for banning fresh milk, asking the people to only buy packed milk. However, he claimed that the fresh milk is a more nutrient and pure than the packed milk.
He said that the milk packaging companies were collecting milk, mostly from southern Punjab at Rs 50 per litre and selling on the consumers at Rs 135 per litre after extracting cream and butter from this milk.
He added that the total packing, transportation and distribution cost is not more than Rs 10 per litre and rest of their profit. He said the companies also import dry milk and after amalgamation of water they sell this milk on us as fresh milk.